


Expectations and Determinations

by Impetus



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Awful time gaps between updates apparently, Eventual Smut, F/M, Garrison AU, M/M, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, fighter pilot! Lance, klance, shallura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-08-08 08:39:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7750801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impetus/pseuds/Impetus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When grey eyes burn with color and soul mates come to terms with who the universe has given them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Upon Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> In which Keith has to confront well hidden expectations and Lance is determined to finish what he started.
> 
> This is in an AU where people who have not yet met their soul mates have grey eyes which come "into colour" when they meet their soulmate.  
> Grey eyes: soulmate hasn't met them yet but is still alive.  
> In colour: has met their soulmate.  
> White eyed: soulmate has passed on.

“Again? Are you kidding me?” Lance scowled up at the results posted on the hallway monitor, expressing his discontent by slumping against Hunk. The engineer just patted his shoulder comfortingly as the pilot rubbed his face into his arm.

“Well, we did crash the simulator,” Pidge pointed out, rather unhelpfully if Lance did say so himself. Lance pulled away to glare at Pidge and then looked back up at Hunk who shrugged.

“Pidge is right, we didn’t exactly put our best foot forward,” he said. Walking away from the other two in his crew. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry. I’m gonna head to the mess, wanna come?” Pidge nodded and trotted off behind Hunk, but Lance shook his head when the two paused to wait for him.

“I’m not hungry,” Lance grumbled. “Thanks, you go on ahead.” He immediately turned back around, staring at the monitor as if his attitude and hard gaze could change the results. 

“If you say so,” Hunk said, his voice trailing off a bit before he said one last thing. “Hey, don’t get so hung up on rankings okay? We still completed the mission the fastest...we just had a little crash landing.” With those words, he and Pidge left Lance to his thoughts. 

“Yeah, I know,” Lance muttered, his reply a little delayed. Crash landing indeed. Everything had gone according to plan. Hunk hadn’t even gotten sick! But lo and behold, when Lance thought they were in the all clear, the simulator pulled up a last minute obstacle before the hanger. One last obstacle that Lance flew right into. 

“You should be proud of yourself.” The voice sounding right next to his ear caused Lance to yelp, backing up until his back hit the wall opposite of the hallway. 

“O-oh, thank you, Ms. Biarno,” Lance stuttered. The teacher looked at him down her nose with piercing white eyes. How she did it, Lance never knew. The woman barely had a nose to look down. One of her brows raised, completing a rather hawkish look that made Lance feel both scrutinized and motivated to impress. 

“You had the fastest time. You would have placed first if not for your...mishap,” she said carefully. “Had you managed to maneuver out of the way in time, you would have beat even Keith.” All the warmth welling up in Lance at the praise sank to the pit of his stomach. Of course he lost to Keith. Again. 

“Thanks, Ms. Biarno,” Lance said again, this time any amount of due respect was swallowed by the disappointment swelling to the front of his mind. 

“You consistently do very well. You just need to focus more.” With that, she swiftly proceeded down the hallway as he saluted her exit. 

“Focus more,” he huffed. ”Even if we’d made a perfect landing, how much do you wanna bet that asshat, Keith, would have found a way to beat me anyway?” Lance let out an exasperated groan, hands flying as he stomped around, ignoring the looks of a very terrified group of cargo pilots. Lance’s grey eyes narrowed as he whipped around and strode toward the monitor. His shoulders back and chest puffed out, he pointed at the name flickering next the first ranking just above his. “I’m coming for you, Keith.”

___

In the mess hall, Keith chewed sullenly on his biscuit. He’d invited Shiro to eat with him, but since the older boy had come into colour, all he’d wanted to do was spend time with his new girlfriend, Allura. Oh, correction, soulmate. Keith rolled his grey eyes before making a quick sweep of the room. He could only see maybe a handful of people with coloured eyes. It was pretty rare for people to meet their soulmates so early. He winced a bit when he noticed a small waifish boy in the corner with a set of white eyes. He barely looked like he was sixteen. Likelihood is that he’d never even met the person on the other end of the harsh white gaze. The rest of them were grey, like he was. Around 80% if he had to guess. It was comforting to know that he wasn’t alone.

Though he was loath to admit it, soulmates had been all Keith thought about lately. It wasn’t like he had much else to think about. With Shiro as a mentor and nothing else to do, he spent most of his time training. As he got stronger and more capable, classes had been getting easier and easier. But now that Shiro didn’t seem to have as much free time, Keith couldn’t help but think about what had been eating up all of his best friend’s attention. Allura was a great person, Keith had to admit that, though he’d been a little pouty about losing his usual five o’clock spar. 

A little time had passed and Keith had since gotten over his schedule change as well as approved of Allura. Without those little tidbits occupying his brain, he didn’t have much else to do but contemplate. 

Growing up in the foster care system didn’t really do much for the romantics. All the kids around him had to focus less on the possibility that their soulmate was out there and more on how to get through school and get out of whichever house they were in. In fact, he’d hardly even believed in soulmates until Shiro and Allura had met. When he’d watched Shiro’s eyes widen and change from a dull grey to a glowing deep brown, he couldn’t exactly deny that soulmates were real. By that logic, his soulmate was out there waiting for him. He was still grey after all. No white condemning him to the lonely life he’d come to expect.

In fact, that revelation sparked more hope in him than he’d like to admit. What was it like? He wondered. Having someone always on your side. It was common knowledge that soulmate business wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Some weren’t attracted to each other at all but lived their lives out as friends. Others simply didn’t want to find their soulmates. Then there were the people that found their soulmates--a group he secretly hoped to join one day.

“It’s just like any other relationship...albeit with higher stakes,” Shiro had said, that slightly sheepish smile on his face. After his first argument with Allura (honestly Keith didn’t even know Shiro could get into arguments) he had talked to Keith to blow off some steam. “We figured we would try it strictly as friends first, but we really hit it off. You know, I really care about her.” Soon a blush began to creep onto his face and Keith had had enough. Shiro laughed as Keith rolled his eyes. “You’ll understand one day.” That was the most they’d spoken about the issue. Other than the casual mention of Allura’s name, he didn’t really like talking about the recent change, opting instead to try and keep his personal life and career separate. A snort made its way out of Keith’s nose at the thought.

“Good fucking luck keeping your relationship under wraps, Mr. Best Pilot in the Garrison,” he muttered, his mouth still unflatteringly full of biscuit. Good thing he was alone at this table.

“Hey, can we sit here? Everywhere else is full.”

So much for that. 

Keith looked up at the new arrivals, meeting two sets of eyes. The first was bespectacled and grey, he noted silently. He looked at the next pair. Rounded and a warm nutty brown. Lighter than Shiro’s, he thought to himself. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” he said, surreptitiously sweeping away the crumbs that escaped his mouth only moments ago. 

“Thanks, man,” said the older of the two, clambering into the seat across the table to tuck into his food. “I’m Hunk by the way, and the one with glasses bigger than her entire body is Pidge.” The younger cadet barely looked up after putting down her food. When she did, it was to send an exasperated look at the boy sitting next to her. After she’d settled in, she looked over him briefly. 

“You look familiar, but I don’t think you’re in any of our classes. Are you a pilot?” she asked, eyes darting over his expression before turning down to work on a small robot that had made its way onto the table in front of her. After a pause and silence, her gaze shot back up to his, eyes blinking owlishly behind her glasses. “Should I take that as a no?”

“No! I mean. Uh, yeah, I’m a pilot.” Keith said stupidly. “I’m in the first rotation.”

“Huh, that explains it. We’re in the second.” Pidge responded, eyes now completely focused on the robot in front of her as it beeped happily. 

“Nice! Our crew has been aiming to get into first rotation! Our pilot is good...just a little easily distracted,” Hunk interjected. 

“So you’re on the same flight crew?” Keith asked. He wasn’t out to make friends, but with the recent changes, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to maybe try and find a new five o’clock sparring partner. A cursory look across the table made it clear that neither of them seemed terribly willing to fight him. Maybe their good but easily distracted pilot would be a proper challenge.

“Yup!” Came the somewhat garbled response before the tall cadet launched into a diatribe about how they’d almost topped results in their last simulation. It was admirable how easily Hunk found it to talk to Keith. Keith knew he wasn’t the best conversation partner, but he had no trouble finding himself comfortable with the amiable man. “Man, you should’ve seen us. We went through the mission, easy peasy, but then a bird flew up into our vision and Lance couldn’t react quite fast enough to make a smooth landing.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that.” Keith elected not to mention how he’d evaded the bird easily. It hadn’t even been a real threat to the flight pattern, just a distraction. “So your pilot’s name is Lance?” 

“Yeah, he’s a good guy. A little competitive, but you know, pilots,” Hunk shrugged. Pidge looked up at that.

“A little competitive?” she asked, incredulously. “He’s all bent out of shape because he’s always losing to that Keith guy. Whenever we have a simulation run we can’t talk to him for a couple hours afterward, because if we do all he’ll start doing is rambling about how Keith is out to get him.” She rolled her eyes. “We do really well. If he’d just focus on doing a good job instead of looking cool or beating Keith, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be so upset every time and we’d be much better off.”

“What?” Keith asked, brow raised. “He thinks someone’s pointedly trying to beat him?” Last time he’d checked he hadn’t been out to get anyone.

“Yeah, he says it’s some kind of rivalry, but I don’t think Keith even knows he exists,” Hunk said, continuing with his meal.

“Well, I have to say I didn’t until now.” Keith deadpanned, pushing food around his tray. Great, he’d just made acquaintance with them and their pilot already hated him for reasons he couldn’t rationalize. He’d never even met the guy. Perfect.

“You’re Keith?” Hunk sputtered, choking on his food for the first time despite talking with his mouth full for the past ten minutes. His cheerful demeanor swiftly replaced by shock.

“As in, the Keith?” Pidge followed up. Her inquisitive expression showing that he was in fact more interesting than the robot to her now. 

“Um, I don’t know about being the Keith, but my name is Keith.” The boy said, looking between the both of them as they spoke. 

“Best Pilot in the Garrison Shiro’s friend Keith?” Hunk clarified.

“Yes?” Keith had no idea why people knew that he and Shiro were best friends.

“Current ranking best cadet pilot Keith?” Pidge tried again.

“Yeah?” Keith also had no idea people actually paid attention to rank for cadets, much less his.

“The pilot who is always beating Lance, Keith?” Spilled out of Hunk’s mouth

“Hunk!” Pidge elbowed the engineer before the aforementioned pilot could respond, though her eyes never left Keith as they both waited with bated breath.

“I guess?” Keith said, looking bewildered by the sudden barrage of questions.

“Bro, how do you get those scores? Even when we pull off perfect missions (which was rare, Pidge noted), we usually don’t manage to get back in quite the same time as you.” Hunk’s grin was full of genuine curiosity. “Dude, you’re so nuts! Who are your engineer and navigator?”

It struck Keith that he actually didn’t know the names of his simulation crew members. They didn’t really talk other than to complete missions in the simulator. The engineer and navigator had approached him, citing that he was the best (if most troublesome) pilot in their rotation and they didn’t want to be dragged down. He’d agreed to group up with them and that was about as much as they’d spoken to each other outside of simulation runs. 

Luckily he ended up being saved as a platter of food slammed itself down at the place next to him.  
“Can you believe that Keith guy?” The newcomer said. The gangly boy huffed and puffed as he began shoveling food in his mouth. He jabbed a chili covered spoon at the pair sitting across the table. “I’m gonna beat his stupid scores if it’s the last thing I do.” He growled before finally noticing that there was someone else at the table. “Oh, sorry, man. I just pissed cause I lost to this stupid guy named Keith, again.” 

No fucking way.

There was no way.

When Keith met the boy’s eyes they were flooded with color. He felt the warmth of his skin and heard the thudding of his heart. Everything around them seemed to still, their vision filled with nothing but each other. He wanted to say something, anything to the person in front of him. Keith opened his mouth, but his soulmate beat him to it. Soulmate, that sounded nice.

“My name’s Lance,” the boy breathed, eyes staring directly into his. He reached out a hand. His lips pulled back into a grin and he winked. “And, you are?” he drolled, gaze sweeping appreciatively over his newfound partner.

“I’m Keith,” he replied, still wrapped in the magic of the moment. This was what it felt like to have a soulmate? To know someone was meant to be with you and was the universe’s gift. They could fall in love. Did he know how to fall in love? It felt like it right now that was for su-- 

“Keith?” Lance screeched.

“Fuck.”


	2. Hopes Dashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they hit rock bottom and have to find a way up.

“I can’t believe my soulmate has been out to get me this whole time,” Lance howled, blue eyes burning with a rejection Keith had experienced just one too many times. Pidge looked awkwardly between the two as the rest of the mess hall began to stare. She opened her mouth to try and stop the situation from escalating when she was handily interrupted.

“I was never out to get you!” Keith yelled, just as loudly and adamantly as his accuser. He knew he was hot headed, but even he didn’t usually rise to bait this fast.

“Well it sure feels like it!” The smarting cadet growled, looming over Keith as he stood. The rest of the cadets in the room slowly began to back away from the pair--the small white eyed cadet hurrying into the hallway. 

“I’ve never even met you before!” Shorter though he was, Keith refused to let Lance look down on him, leaping to his feet. 

“How do you know that?” Lance rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, mouth turned downward as far as it could possibly go. 

“Our eyes literally just changed!” Keith said frankly. He didn’t want it to be like this. Why did something like his academic performance be impacting the one thing he was supposed to freely experience? Why didn’t Lance feel the same way he did? Why was everything so wrong?

“Well! Maybe you’d heard about me or something!” Lance pouted, poking Keith in the chest. “I don’t care! I’m going to enter first rotation and take your rank!” The challenge struck his core. In spite of his competitive nature and the clear difference in reaction, Keith couldn’t stem the warm feelings that this boy inspired in him. Lance wasn’t going to back down and Keith liked it. 

“I don’t want to fight with you.” Keith was embarrassed when he noted the tiniest wavering in his voice. He couldn’t help it. The conviction in Lance’s voice was hotter than he wanted to admit. 

“Hey, hey, chill out,” Hunk interjected, having come between the two combative boys. At least Keith was right in some respect. It definitely looked like Lance would be willing to fight him at five o’clock. Maybe even all the time. 

“What’s going on here?” A sharp voice demanded. Immediately, all cadets stood up ramrod straight, hands shooting into a salute. “Keith?” the instructor inquired. Lance let out a disgruntled noise that was swiftly stifled when her critical gaze slid over to him. 

“Miss Lannon,” He started, pausing when he realised he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I, well, we,” he coughed, “just came into colour.” Hearing it aloud made him feel even more frustrated with the situation. Coming into colour was supposed to be celebrated. Getting scolded as a couple wasn’t exactly the first thing that came to mind when he thought about meeting his soulmate. He hated how he still loved the way the word sounded.

“I see.” Neither boy thought her voice could get icier, but it did. “Well, seeing as you both seem to be handling that very well, I think we should make a slight change in our roster.”

“What?” Lance gasped, eyes shooting up to meet her unsympathetic expression. “Change to roster?”

“Yes, Lance, you will be placed in cargo.” She said decisively. Keith could feel his heart dropping into his stomach. No. 

“Cargo?” The blue eyed boy repeated. “I-I don’t understand.” He said. Despite his words, he did understand, sounding both resigned and resolute. Keith didn’t even know that combination of feelings existed. In his shadow, Lance knew it all too well.

“I was told you picked a fight with your...soulmate,” she said distastefully. Her grey eyes roved over the two of them. “If you have time to focus on causing trouble with your fellow cadets, you have time to be retrained. You will report to cargo rotation from now on and will be placed with a new flight team.” Lance’s lack of fire stoked Keith’s own. This woman couldn’t prove Lance right and take away what he’d worked so hard for, just to leave Keith sitting handily at the top of the class. He wouldn’t allow it. 

“There has to be something else we can do!” Keith insisted, ignoring the harsh gaze Lance shot him. He didn’t need to look at the pilot to know what was running through his mind. I don’t need your help. Despite the frustration and indignation he felt coursing through his partner, he didn’t want Lance to hate him any more than he already did. He didn’t know if he could handle it. The universe couldn’t be so cruel as to give him someone to love and take them away so quickly. Not like it had with everything else.

“You seem rather desperate, Keith,” Miss Lannon’s eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t suit you,” she said bluntly. 

“All due respect, Miss Lannon,” Hunk spoke up for the first time since trying to stop the argument. “I don’t want to work with any pilot but Lance.” 

“Me neither!” Pidge piped up, glasses almost falling off her nose as she rushed to stand next to the rest of her flight crew. “If Lance goes to cargo, we all go to cargo.” The tan boy looked up, eyes fierce.

“No, if I go to cargo, I go alone.” He spoke clearly, his shoulders relaxing. “I’ll climb back up the ranks.” A smug smile made its way across his face and he turned to his teammates. “Easy peasy, I’ll be back up with you guys soon,” he smirked, shooting finger guns at them despite the tense atmosphere. 

Keith couldn’t help but feel jealousy washing over him. When they’d spoken up, though he had protested, Lance had been relieved. Lance had been grateful. He wanted Lance to feel that way about him. 

“I started the argument,” Keith said. “I picked a fight with Lance.”

“That’s not true,” Lance immediately refuted his claim. “I’ll deal with the punishment,” his eyes flashed. Don’t get involved. 

“Well, since we seem to have two different stories, we’ll just have to demote both of you to cargo.” 

Keith froze. 

“Miss Lannon, please. Keith didn’t do anything.” Lance’s voice was the calmest Keith had ever heard it. “Pid--I mean, Katie and Hunk didn’t do anything either. I’ll report to cargo tomorrow.” 

The grudging respect in the woman’s eyes did little to settle the raging confusion whipping through Keith’s mind. Why wasn’t Lance fighting back more? Lance had seemed ready to take him down no matter what it took. Wasn’t Lance going to unseat him? If he took the fall, then his spot would be Lance’s. 

Keith didn’t understand why Lance wasn’t taking this opportunity because everyone else in his life always took when they could. Lance’s rejection had been cold and his determination to beat Keith roared stronger than the pull Keith knew they both felt in their guts. Despite all of that, Lance protected him. 

He protected Pidge and Hunk as well, his mind reminded him quietly, as though afraid to court the thought. It didn’t matter to Keith. Out of love or out of stubbornness, Lance had protected him.

Maybe there was hope. 

“Well then, since you’re so eager to climb your way back up in the ranks, what better way to get you there than assign you a tutor?” Miss Lannon’s imperious gaze dared anyone to speak up.

Or maybe not.

“Tutor?” Lance asked, voice growing shrill as he began to drag hands down his face. “Isn’t being demoted enough?” He whipped around to glare at Keith with a burning vengeance that made Keith want to turn away, but his prideful nature kept him standing. “This is your fault.” The cold words hung in the air for a moment. He knew Lance was just looking for someone to blame. Lance knew it too. Who better to blame than someone he already hated?

Something inside of Keith shriveled just a little more. Fuck if he would let it show. He’d had enough of this cruel game the universe was playing with him. His stomach twisted as he saw the frustration in Lance’s eyes, but he ignored it in favor of the burning anger at the injustice of this all. 

He’d done nothing wrong, but Lance was being punished. Which meant Lance hated him even more, punishing him because they were growing that much further apart. Honestly he didn’t think they could even get any farther away from each other. So the part of him that rejoiced at meeting his soulmate locked its doors, and the red lion inside of him took its place.

“I didn’t fucking do anything.” Keith snapped, teeth bared. 

“Language,” Miss Lannon reprimanded him sharply. “Keith, you’ll be Lance’s tutor from now on until he gets back up to fighter pilot class.” Immediately Keith’s hair stood on end. Though it seemed to take all of his will power, Lance forced his eyes off of Keith and back toward the impatiently waiting professor. 

“How can I get back to fighter class?” Lance asked, grudgingly. His body language was stiff and subdued, nothing like the relaxed and free wheeling personality he usually was. 

“You will train with Keith in the simulator as well as the training room. You may be a capable pilot, but there is always room for improvement. When I and the other instructors have seen an improvement in focus, maturation, and a better relationship than whatever this is,” she gestured to the still fuming pair. “You will be restored to your current class.”

There was silence. Pidge and Hunk hadn’t moved, but they looked defeated, sympathetically watching as Lance tried to play off his obvious hurt, disappointment, and embarrassment.

Without another word, their instructor swept out of the room, a low buzz finally making itself known. It was then that Keith remembered that they had an audience. The whispering masses that took in and spread the information like wildfire consuming a dried field.

“Did you see that?”

“Serves Lance right, he should be grateful to be paired with someone like Keith. Keith’s way out of his league.”

“Lance shouldn’t have picked a fight. He’s never beat Keith before and he won’t now.”

“Of course they’re not going to demote Keith to cargo. He’s so much better than Lance.”

“What did Lance expect?”

Keith’s fists clenched as his sides. So this was what Lance felt like. If this was what Lance heard everyday, be it through words or actions, it was no wonder he’d reacted the way he did. It didn’t excuse his behaviour, but it definitely shed light on the situation.

If his first impression of Lance was anything to go off of, he wasn’t afraid to talk about his goals. And he was loud. He must have talked about how he wanted to be first rank. Who was first rank? Keith.

For the first time in his life, Keith wished he’d talked to people more. He wished he could’ve known about the inevitable comparisons between himself and the gangly blue pilot. Lance had never even been on his radar, but as an aspiring first class fighter pilot, aiming for the top was the only way to go. 

While Keith was seeing Lance for the first time, Lance had been watching him forever. Staring at a back that wouldn’t turn to face him. Never had a reason to until now.

Until the world decided that they were supposed to be together. Like it or not. 

Images of how happy Shiro and Allura were ran through his mind. They had something that he could have. That he and Lance could have together. He had to fix this.

“Lan-” 

“He’s gone,” Hunk said quietly. His usually boisterous voice was barely audible over the still rising chatter. “Sorry, man. Typically he whines about anything and everything without worrying about consequences, but when it comes to big stuff like this,” the engineer gestured to the prying eyes around them. “He tends to not say anything.” He wandered over to the table, picking up the trays of now cold food before heading over to the disposal.

“Is there anything I can do?” Keith’s voice was hoarse. The lion inside of him still had its hackles raised, but at the thought of Lance’s cloudy blue eyes, it settled. Shiro said this would be work. That it was like any other relationship except with higher stakes. Keith had never been good at building relationships with people, but this time he would have to. He would fight for the love he had always secretly wanted. 

He would fight for Lance.

“Please, tell me everything you can about Lance,” he implored. Pidge looked at him hesitantly, eyes darting from him to Hunk as the large boy returned to their small circle. 

“You know that he hates you even more now, right?” Her words hurt, but Keith accepted them.

“Yeah.”

“And you still want to learn more about him? You may not even get anywhere.” Her warning hung for a moment. 

“He’s more stubborn then Mr. Montgomery,” Hunk followed up. 

At first there was silence. Hunk and Pidge stared at him without shame as they pointedly ignored all the cadets milling around them.

“Yes.” 

“Alright, then follow us.” 

***

Lance stumbled into his room, not even bothering to turn on the light as he collapsed on his bed. Reaching blindly for make-up wipes, he swiped his face before trudging to the bathroom. He went through the motions of his nightly routine, trying to breathe as the moisturizer settled into his skin. He let out a sigh before finally turning on the light, feeling the tingle of fresh mint in his mouth as he stared at himself in the mirror.

Usually this was the way for him to unwind at the end of the day and he would dance and wink at himself as he got ready for bed. Not today. As he looked into the startling gaze of his own eyes, he couldn’t help but tense up. His traitorous blue eyes. The eyes that changed when they met the gaze of none other than rank one Keith. 

“I’m going to beat you.” He whispered, as though his eyes could forward the message. “You may be my soulmate, but you won’t hold me back. I won’t let you win.”

His voice was resolute, but when he turned the lights back off, he was relieved. 

Maybe he could forget the warmth that settled in his bones when Keith had smiled.

Forget his excitement at meeting the person he was meant to be with for the rest of his life.

Soulmate or not. Bond or not. Lance was determined to be the best and achieve what he set out to achieve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was struggling with a mood and pacing which I'm honestly still not entirely sure about. Hopefully this isn't too heavy--but this fic was never intended to be completely fluffy. So I hope you still enjoy!  
> Shout out to fujohive and batbootyho for being the best and reading over my shit.


	3. One Foot in the Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith starts to learn more about Lance and Lance (kind of) admits that Keith makes him feel all warm inside.

“Where are you taking me?” Keith asked. They’d been walking through the garrison, taking many turns and throughways that Keith both did and did not recognise. As they moved, chatter seemed to follow.

“Is that Keith with Pidge and Hunk?”

“No way, Red Lion Keith? Why would he hang out with second rotations?”

Lance’s face rose up in the back of Keith’s mind. Scowl and wrinkled eyebrows emphasized by empty criticisms and judgements spurred by people who knew nothing about him or his talents. Who cares if Keith was first rotation or Lance’s flight crew was second? The first rotation was made up of the top two flight crews in the entire garrison. Second rotation was comprised of the following top three flight crews rounding out the top five and to be either first or second rotation was an honour. Did they always make such a big deal out of this?

“We could tell you everything we know about Lance,” Pidge said over her shoulder as she continued striding down the hall. “But why just ask us when you can always use more resources? Plus, I feel like she’s more of an expert on dealing with this than we are,” the words of the other cadets missed her entirely as she took another right before finally stopping in front of the entryway to a small courtyard. “Hunk has Shay and all that, but they were together since childhood so I don’t think their relationship is the best template for you. Plus, they’re both two of the most amiable people I’ve ever met.” 

Hunk smiled, shrugging as he kept up with Pidge. “Sorry I can’t be of much help.”

Keith never spent much time on this side of the Garrison. This area lead to some small embassies and honestly made him feel uncomfortable whenever he happened to wander over. 

The garrison was simple and straightforward. Complete your tasks and complete them well. Keith could do that. In fact he was one of the best at it. Among ambassadors and dignitaries, there was more nuance. One social faux pas and entire international relations could crumble. Everything was built on words and interactions here. Keith was good at a lot of things, piloting, eating in solitude, and making sure his bed was clean despite sleeping with his shoes on just to name a few. Dealing with people was not one of those things. 

“Pidge! Hunk! How are you?” a familiar voice rang through the otherwise still air. Keith had been anxious about who they’d come to see--a lone Allura, tending to some of the flowers was not what he had anticipated. “Oh, and Keith! What are you doing here?” Apparently she hadn’t expected him either. 

Before he could help it, his eyes swept the courtyard before settling back on her face. She giggled into a dirtied glove before leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. 

“Shiro is on his way over.” Another small laugh escaped her when she saw him relax a little before she leaned back to speak louder. “So, what can I help you with? It’s not often that I see the three of you at the same time much less together.” As she walked closer, Keith’s gaze locked onto her glowing blue one. For a moment, he thought that he’d done something wrong when her eyes narrowed. “Keith, your eyes.” Right, his eyes indeed.

“Um, yeah,” he said awkwardly, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Surprise?” 

“That’s wonderful, Keith!” Allura exclaimed, hands clapping together. “If you don’t mind me asking...who is it?” For a moment, no one said anything, Hunk suddenly seemed very interested in the sky and Pidge shuffled a couple rocks with her foot. 

“Lance,” Keith said, ignoring the small warm pang in his heart in favor of resignation. Her happy expression faltered at his tone before coming back full force. 

“Oh, Lance? Like our Lance?” She looked around for confirmation, smiling when Hunk and Pidge nodded. “He’s got a good heart. Just a little too much bravado and stubbornness maybe,” she said thoughtfully. “That’s such great news! I think you two would be absolutely lovely together.” Her expression was so open and warm. “Please forgive him if he comes on too strong, he’s always loved attention and finding his soulmate was something he’d always looked forward to. I bet it’s so hard to keep him off of you!” Her innocent words touched a small nerve with Keith. He wished that’s how it was going. “If you ever need any help or he needs a talking to, just come to me. Where is he? I’m sure he’s already caused trouble. I’ll set him straight!” 

Keith knew she could too. Once he’d caught her taking something heavy from Shiro and handling it better than the pilot had. He’d pretended not to notice when Shiro blushed sweetly and kissed her before moving to share the load. Her toughness extended to her personality as well, her warm countenance belying a sharp mind and no nonsense attitude. He hadn’t known Allura for very long, but if he said the word, she would definitely give Lance a talking to.

“Um, well, the reason we’re here is because this is kind of a special case,” Pidge spoke up. “See, Lance hates Keith.”

“What?” Allura’s eyes grew wide. She looked back at Keith, her brows furrowed when he simply looked away to stare furiously at a fern. “Why?”

“You know that guy Lance is always complaining about?” Hunk asked. “The guy Lance is convinced is out to get him?”

“Yes, Keith--oh.” Understanding dawned on her. “Well that’s a problem isn’t it.” 

“I didn’t even do anything,” Keith grumbled. “I didn’t even know he existed.” 

“I would not recommend telling Lance that,” Allura hummed, “the only thing worse than antagonizing Lance is not caring about him.”

“Well...I said I’d never even met him before,” Keith ventured looking sheepish. Allura looked at him pityingly. 

“So, what are you going to do?” She asked. 

“That’s why we brought him to you! You deal with messy situations all the time!” Hunk answered for him. “Keith wants to know more about Lance, try and fix this whole thing.”

It was then that Keith began to really think about how Lance felt about him. If Lance was so against this, he could stand to live alone. That’s how he’d always lived before, so why change now. His face began to harden into a scowl when he felt Allura’s hand on his shoulder. 

“I know Lance can be unreasonable. Shiro told me about your past too, this must be hard for you,” she whispered. Pidge and Hunk looked at each other, neither of them knowing about the difficult past she mentioned. “You’re not used to this, and being rejected so harshly by someone you can’t help but love,” she paused when Keith huffed and looked away. “And yes, I know you love him already or you wouldn’t be here.” When he refused to look back at her, she squeezed his shoulder gently. “Keith, please listen to me.” At the very least, she could feel the tension in his muscles fade the tiniest bit, so she continued. “I know it hurts, but you’re facing it now, and I am so proud of you.”

Without warning, her hand on his shoulder turned into a hug. Keith couldn’t help but think about the fact that this day was full of firsts.

No one had ever said they were proud of him before.

Not when he was doing something for himself.

It felt good. 

“He’ll come around, I’m sure he will.” She murmured in his ear. 

And despite the raging insecurities and his experience with broken promises and empty houses he believed her.

“I don’t hate him,” he whispered, as though maybe that would convince Lance. Why was this so hard? “I don’t know if I love him either...I just, feel like he belongs with me and I belong with him. It’s like some crazy energy.” Hunk nodded eagerly in agreement.

“Like if you’re together, everything will be okay!” The large cadet smiled, arms wide before he wrapped them around himself. “Whenever I’m with Shay, I feel warm and comfortable.” His smile almost blinding Keith when he turned to face the pilot. “Lance makes everyone feel like that. He’s always got a joke or this goofy expression. I can only imagine how he makes you feel.”

Keith tried to focus on those two seconds before everything had gone to shit and nodded.

“It was pretty great.”

“Well, then,” Allura said, clapping her hands and tone businesslike. “Let’s get to it then. What do you want to know, Keith?”

“Uhhh.” 

“We’ll start from the beginning then.”

***

She’d swept them out of the courtyard and into the closest building, which Keith quickly found out was her home. As much as he’d heard about Allura, he realised quickly that he knew nothing about her; but from what he could see, her home was pretty much what he expected. The decorations were sparse but made up for their small numbers with eye catching blues and golds set against clean white walls and smooth tile floors. The room was immaculate. Princess indeed. 

“Sit down wherever you’d like,” she said as she removed her boots, she laid her gloves to rest on a planter hanging from her porch roof before shaking out her skirts and stepping inside. Pidge and Hunk both kicked off their shoes with familiarity and quickly found places peering at her book case and poking around her fridge respectively. Eventually they both found items of interest and settled around her living room. Allura sighed when she noticed that Keith hadn’t moved much at all. “Keith, that includes you,” she pressed softly. A little startled by the sudden attention, he froze up even more. 

“Uh, I’m good here,” he said, barely moving inside, closing the door and leaning in the entryway. Playing off his awkwardness as aloofness was something he was convinced he’d perfected. 

Several minutes passed as Allura bustled around, getting them all water and setting cups on coasters before sitting down. Five coasters, Keith noticed. One obviously for him as she’d made eye contact while setting it down. 

Finally, he remembered that he was here to talk about Lance, not stand in Allura’s foyer. He moved to take off his shoes when a firm knock on the door behind him rang out just moments before the aforementioned door pushed him into the wall he’d been leaning on.

“Allura? You weren’t in the courtyard so I figu--Keith?” Shiro caught sight of the squashed cadet behind the door before hurriedly moving into the entry hall and closing the door. “Sorry, are you okay?” He leaned in to inspect Keith but pulled back when Keith didn’t make eye contact with him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Keith muttered, looking away as he elected not to think about the state of his ego as Allura chuckled, Pidge and Hunk howling with laughter. 

“Why are you standing by the door?” Shiro asked, expression genuinely curious. Keith refused to look up as he took off his shoes and made his way to the seating area. He sat stiffly, legs and arms both crossed. The picture of comfort. Shiro chuckled when he made eye contact with Allura who waved a small greeting before sending a friendly but exasperated look at his best friend. Noting that Keith did not answer him, he simply took off his boots and shrugged off his jacket, sticking both in a small closet. 

“You’re Shirogane Takashi! Oh my god,” Hunk breathed, eyes wide and food forgotten as he wiped his hands on his jacket before sticking his right out to the well known pilot. “Lance talks about you all the time. You’re like his hero! It’s nice to meet you, man, I’m Hunk.” Before he could hide it, Keith attention peaked at the mention of Lance’s name. 

“Hey, Shiro,” Pidge called, tone familiar as they continued to read. 

“What? You know him?” Hunk’s voice incredulous as he whipped around to stare at the unimpressed cadet. “You know best pilot in the garrison, Keith’s best friend, Shiro?”

“Yeah, he works with my dad and brother on research missions,” she shrugged. 

“Nice to meet you, Hunk,” Shiro smiled genially as he shook the engineer’s hand. “Hello, Pidge,” he followed up, ruffling her hair as he walked past and to Allura. “Hey,” he smiled, giving her a quick peck on the lips as he pulled her into him. 

“Hello,” she murmured into his chest as she hugged him back with the same strength. Keith had been secretly watching them, but the intimacy of the moment finally forced him to look away, a sour voice in the back of his mind all too happy to recall how Lance looked at him with anger and frustration. 

“So what’s the reason for the company?” Shiro pulled away to take in the group. Keith tensed. “What’re you doing here, Keith? Not to say that I’m not happy to see you.” The unspoken, “is something wrong?” did not miss Keith quite as easily as most subtext did. 

“Pidge and Hunk brought Keith to me for advice,” Allura supplied. She sat, Shiro looking at Keith again before he also sat with his arm laying across her shoulders. Keith watched how natural it all was. That’s what soulmates were supposed to be like. Easy and comfortable, good together, and able to read each other. 

Could this work? Lance was good looking, fun, and friendly, from what he gathered (Lance was hard not to look at and appreciate, angry or not) and what everyone else said about him. Everyone seemed to be trying to get him not to take Lance’s rejection personally. Like this was just a thing Lance did when it so very obviously wasn’t.

He and Lance were soulmates. Allura had said that Lance was always seeking attention and hadn’t shut up about finding his soulmate (since he knew about the concept, Keith was sure) but had all but punched Keith upon finding out. It was pretty obvious that for Lance, Keith was the problem in this equation. Hard not to take that personally. He took in a deep breath and thought about those two seconds of feeling loved and wanted. That’s why he was here. 

For the first time that night, Keith allowed himself to stare Shiro straight in the eye. Immediately, Shiro knew what was wrong.

“Who is it?” He asked, standing with his shoulders broadening as his protective instincts roiled to the surface. “Why aren’t they with you? Where are they? What did they do?” The usual calm Shiro was gone. In his place stood the older brother figure that had been with Keith as he changed from rebellious delinquent to first rank cadet. 

After being partnered together in a community improvement program that Keith had originally despised, Keith and Shiro had eventually come to an understanding and inevitably come to the point they were at now. Keith’s home life had all but left him unprepared for someone who cared about him so much, and though this move was expected, seeing Shiro’s obvious aggression sent him into a panic. 

“He didn’t do anything,” Keith said hurriedly. “Lance is just upset.” 

“Lance?” Immediately Shiro paused and turned to Allura. “Lance? The guy you’re always telling me about? The guy who was always hitting on you?” His stern expression trading itself in for confusion. “Lance the pilot?” Arms folded across his wide chest as Allura tried to pull him down, muttering placating things to try and settle him. He finally relaxed, but his eyes demanded answers.

“He used to hit on you?” Keith asked, unable to process why that bothered him so much. Despite all the ugly feelings he’d had while living in foster care, they’d been limited mostly to internalized rage and annoyance, not highly focused jealousy. 

Keith had always been a solitary person, he’d never really had anyone to be truly jealous of. Other kids with actual families and a real support system were too large a population for him to find any one person onto which to channel his frustration. So he’d settled for delinquent behaviour instead. Shiro befriending him was the first real relationship he had ever experienced and he had accepted (anticipated) the arrival of a soulmate because they were meant to be together. The secret hopes and dreams behind the arrival of his soulmate have seemed all so pretty and promising. Instead, these very personal and ugly feelings were starting to overwhelm him. 

Honestly, the whole situation was overwhelming. But the initial jealousy he’d felt toward Allura when she and Shiro began to establish a relationship was being consumed by the burning jealousy he felt now. His gaze was hot as he waited for her confirmation.

“It was always only ever playful,” Allura insisted, trying to wave off the commentary. “I turned him down ten times within the first day we met.” Her laugh was exasperated and she playfully rolled her eyes. “His flirtatious nature was hardly limited to me and I highly doubt he ever truly expected anything to come of it since, well,” she tapped her finger on her cheek bones, eyes peering out from behind dark lashes. “I think that if you just spend time with him and show him that you are there for him--that you are willing to embrace who he is, he will come around eventually. It’s rough now, but Lance has never been very good at holding grudges. He cares too much.” 

Though she spoke lightly, Allura watched keith carefully. She was aware that when she and Shiro had first met, Keith had felt lonely before he’d come to accept her and understand that Shiro wasn’t leaving. The last thing she wanted was to make Keith feel like she was taking people away from him when he had so few in his life to begin with. Keith was important to Shiro, she wanted this to work out. 

“So it didn’t mean anything,” Keith said slowly. She let out a breath.

“It didn’t.”

“He’d never admit it since he’s always super flirty and wants everyone to think he’s all experienced or whatever, but once Lance told me that he wanted to experience all of his firsts with his soulmate,” Hunk nodded as he leaned back on the couch. “I mean, he’s always asking people out or whatever, but I think he’s just a huge romantic at heart, you know?” A broad smile made its way across his face. “He’s my best buddy! Always got a joke or a smile to make you feel better. Heck the one time I had an argument with Shay--”

“You argued with Shay?” Pidge screeched, nonplussed by this news. Hunk continued, ignoring the squawking cadet. 

“He was there to talk it out with me. He’s got a huge family, lots of siblings to comfort. He’s good at it and he’s good at being there for people. This kind of sucks, I’m sure, but he’s a really really perceptive person and I’m sure he’ll see that you want to be with him, not against him. You know?” Hunk’s words were riddled with the obvious respect he had for his friend. 

No, Keith didn’t know, but it made the ache abate a little bit. He hated that the mere mention of Lance and of a past he couldn’t change put him through his paces like this. But it was more than that. This connection with Lance was part of him all the way down to his bones. It carved confusing feelings and emptiness and fulfillment on his skin and swam through his veins. 

“Lance makes me feel like there’s a reason for me to be here,” he said quietly. “Even now, even though he’s angry with me,” he paused, head tilted to the side as he searched for the right words. “It’s because he’s thinking about me. It’s because he thinks I influence his life.”

“Yeah, he thinks you’re out to get him,” Pidge mumbled. “That’s not exactly a good place to be.” The thoughtful cadet continued after an almost imperceptible pause, “Lance has always been fighting the idea that you’re better than him. They’re always comparing you two, I think it’s because out of all the pilots, he’s the most likely to fly aggressively like you are. You’re both confident. Professors and our classmates are always talking about how you’re the best of the best. Lance wants to be that example. He wants to be the best of the best. He wants to beat you.” 

“Even so,” Shiro said, looking over at Keith with understanding. “That means to him you matter. You may not know each other yet, and you may not have known he existed, but he sees you and always has.”

“Now it’s my turn to return the favour.” 

 

***

“He doesn’t know shit about me,” Lance muttered as he pored over his piloting text. There was supposed to be a quiz the next day, a quiz he wasn’t even sure he was going to be able to take since he’d been knocked down to cargo. “Hasn’t even met me before. Probably said he didn’t even know I existed. Whatever! This is all his fucking fault.”

Lance refused to acknowledge the idea of Keith as more than just Keith the Red Lion cadet. Entertaining the idea that the stupid mullethead was more than just his rival and nemesis was not going to fly. Nope, no sirree. Sure their eyes changed upon meeting. That didn’t mean anything to Lance. Didn’t mean that he was going to give up on this and his goal to surpass the guy who had been out to get him since, well, forever! Maybe this was all a ploy too. Distract him and get him booted down a class on top of it so he can keep his first class first rank all to himself. 

 

He continued to look through his textbook, highlighting different points with his lucky blue highlighter and scribbled haphazard notes all over the pad he kept in place with his pointy elbow. A lot of people tended to think he didn’t work hard. He’d be lying if he told you he didn’t know what other people thought about him--he cared about his image too much to go through life without keeping tabs on it. He was smooth, the class clown, ladies (Keith’s) man, and soon to be number one pilot and he would become all of those things effortlessly. No need to let people know that he studied heavily every night and that his skill wasn’t just talent. 

Not like Keith anyway. He knew for a fact that Keith didn’t study. Keith didn’t do anything except hop into a simulator and run perfect routines and somehow ace all the tests they got. Allura had mentioned how impressed she was with him when she first met him and that had hurt Lance more than he’d like to admit. According to the princess, he and an acquaintance of hers spent most of their time training for hand to hand combat than studying like he did. Stupid lousy, admittedly hot, but mostly stupid and lousy, Keith. 

Ever since he’d met Keith he’d been all sorts of messed up. Thinking about the other pilot still stoked a fire in him, but it also transformed into warmth. Warmth that reminded him of the way Keith had looked at him as if he was the only person in the world. Reminded him of the way his eyes lit up and glistened in the honestly terrible cafeteria lighting. Reminded him of the breathy way he’d said his name. Reminded him of the too quick defences that Keith fortified to protect him despite their fight.

Well he didn’t need him! Lance’s hand danced across the lines of his notepad furiously as he wrote down detail after detail of how pilots were supposed to act and watch and listen. He’d prove that he didn’t need good old ‘Red Lion Keith’ to be the be a better pilot. In fact, at training tomorrow with his so called “tutor,” he’d show him just how good he could be. That he was going to be the best.

“They don’t call me the tailor for nothin’.” He said, letting out a satisfied sigh as he stretched his limbs before getting back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much unedited but I wanted to try and update. -sweats- I started this chapter a while ago and just now got around to finishing it.  
> I had a couple people read it over as it was in progress but only one person read it in full so please forgive any glaring typos!  
> There's not much Lance, but I promise there will be more soon!  
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! <3


	4. Of Unexpected Confessions and Take Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance eventually makes his way to class and white eyes can't help but look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that there's not much. I've been sitting on this chapter since last year and I had been so stubborn about not posting until I had something of more substance, but I didn't quite make it. I hope you enjoy anyway. I especially hope you like Josh and Pan. There will be more of them (not much I don't expect). I apologise in advance if you don't.

Lance liked to think he was a morning person--but this morning was not what he would consider a good morning. The sun spotted through his blinds before his alarm had even gone off. He shifted, slinging his arm across his eyes and slipping his other hand under the waistband of his pants, fingering the edge of his boxers and picking at the loose threads as he tried to settling back in. 

Not yet. He didn’t want to get up yet. He resolutely refused to look at the sunlight filling his room, trying to escape under the dark pressure of his forearm as he breathed. He could feel the sunlight streaming in as it warmed his skin and eyelashes. Not yet. His nails settled in against the taut skin of his hips before tapping his fingers against the small and usually forgotten scar laying atop the curved bone. The rhythm was nothing in particular, but it relaxed him as he tried to push away the thoughts that assaulted him like the sunlight glaring mutinously through his window. He didn’t want to face the day today. Facing today meant facing the fact that he was having to start over from the beginning and starting over from the beginning meant coming to terms with the fact that he would never beat Keith. He would never move forward. His fingers paused over the scar tissue before shakily continuing. Never move past him. 

Keith.

The rhythm grew agitated, less a mirrored lake and more a choppy sea as he finally forced himself to open his eyes and look directly into the challenging sun. He tugged at the frayed edges of the worn fabric of his boxers before he eventually pulled his hand free and out from under the covers. Surging upward, Lance eased into his slippers and lazily made his way over to the bathroom. Shuffling sounds followed him as the bottoms of the fluffy bright blue lions churned up the standard dorm carpet beneath his feet. He stepped out of them and onto the smooth tile. Stifling a yawn, he turned to the first of his morning tasks and picked up his sticker covered toothbrush. The motions were slow and easy. Wet. Apply toothpaste. Brush. Spit. Gurgle. Studiously ignore his own reflection. Spit. 

Easy.

He almost laughed at himself then. Lance hated this part of him a little. Self pity didn’t suit him, action suited him. Doing things and meeting people and being more than this suited him. Self pity was an ill fitted skin and he was better than that.

So he took a breath and stepped into the shower. Exfoliating took time and far be it from him to let No Moisturizer Keith keep him from looking and feeling beautiful. He ignored the desire to stay in the cooling water stream and stepped out. The warmth of his slightly worn towel lightly chafed the back of his neck as he rubbed up and into his hair--ruffling the moisture out of the strands. With a deep breath and more courage than he’d like to admit was necessary, he looked straight at his reflection and started putting on his make up. If he was going into a whole new class he sure as hell was going to look his best--but obviously not too good or they’d think he was trying and he couldn’t have that.

“Lookin’ good, my guy,” he said, shooting finger guns at himself. Though he’d gone through all the steps to properly accentuate his eyes he couldn’t bring himself to really look at them. Not yet.

Easy.

Out the door and into a new day he supposed. Taking a quick right and dodging all the other pilot class cadets he knew lived in his wing was a larger task than usual simply because he couldn’t bring himself to look up from the ground. For the longest time, the idea of belonging to someone had been appealing. He’d desired it unabashedly. Chased down beautiful people to take a good long look before sliding out a quick pick up line just in case--but now it felt like a scar. Something he wanted to hide. His eyes were blue. He knew that now. 

“Lance, c’mon. We have to hurry if we’re going to make it to fighter sim without Washburn biting our asses off,” his friend called from the end of the hall. Looks like someone caught him. Instinctively his gaze flickered up and he saw her pause and stare. Oh right.

“Hey, Melanie, babe! You look good this morning,” he said in what he hoped was the usual just casual enough tone he’d perfected over the years. “Always beautiful but especially so on this fine day.” A few long legged steps and he had his arm slung around her shoulders. “How are yo--ow! What the hell?” 

She pulled back the elbow she’d unforgivingly driven into his ribs and shrugged his arm off her shoulder. “I see your eyes! Can’t hide from me, Mr. I Met My Soul Mate! Why didn’t you tell me? Congratulations! This is huge!” Her grey eyes gleamed as she waited eagerly for good news. Lance almost didn’t have the heart to burst her bubble, but his had been oh so rudely burst yesterday so he supposed he had every right to do it today. 

“Yeah, but he’s a dick.”

“Oh.” Her face immediately dropped and he plastered on his signature smile and nudged her gently. Melanie was a sweet girl--vicious and a fierce sense of justice that made her a worthy pilot, but a heart just barely steely enough to reject his advances every time he saw her. Though it was true, the misfortune of his bonding was his problem, not hers. 

“It’s all good. He’s still pretty, I can make it work.” Her awkward expression didn’t waver until Lance finally let out a loose laugh. “I will admit though. It’s more work than I’m used to with my effortless good looks and limitless talent.” Leaning in just close enough to whisper conspiratorially in her ear, his voice dropped. “He’s got a mullet.” She cringed in just the right way and cracked a smile. 

“At least it’s not Keith, right?”

“Well…”

“Oh my god, no way.” 

“Cadets! Get to where you need to be!” The shrill voice of Mr. McGinnis ripped them both from the quickly spiralling conversation. 

“We can talk more in class,” Melanie said as they rounded the corner that led to the main hall. She made a beeline for the wing that housed all the flight simulators, leaving Lance behind. 

“Got a new assignment,” he called after her. She turned to look at him in confusion. 

“Dude--uh, McClain,” she quickly revised her verbiage as Washburn stepped out and nailed her with a look. “I will convene with you later,” voice tapering off into an implied question. 

Lance shrugged before heading where he needed to go. It was honestly surprising that she didn’t know already, crowded cadets were dry brush for gossip fire and she was probably going to get the full run down in class. Back straight and mind resigned, he moved to head toward the classrooms slated on the schedule he had received in an email the night before. A prickling crawled up his back and warmed his skin. Time to go. 

Moving quickly away and through a hallway on the opposite side of the wide space. Down the stairs and out of sight. Safe. 

Keith watched him leave.

“Kogane!” 

Keith’s eyes tore away from the lost image of Lance’s back and saluted the instructor who’d called his name. He shook off the pull of his soulmate’s lingering presence and shuffled through the doorway.

Lance couldn’t help but wait in the relatively empty hallway. There were stragglers, but this was the closest to alone he would be until this day was over. He could afford a couple more minutes. A demotion and a whole new path he had to carve himself stood imposing in front of him. What was one more punishment? Checking his phone and looking through the supportive messages from Hunk and Pidge as well as just barely over-inquisitive one from Allura helped him relax. 

Hunk and Pidge both had flight sims today and had plans to tinker around with a drone they’d begun to draft--so knowing that they’d taken the time to reach out to him meant a lot. Allura’s curious “What’s your favourite food? Also your favourite animal? And your favourite colour, please!” had been more than a little disconcerting to say the least. His responding “mashed potatoes, red panda, and blue,” had been quickly followed by an indignant “we’ve known each other since I was barely out of my diapers and you didn’t know these things about me?”  
Since his mother had worked as a bodyguard for Allura’s father, the acting King of Altea, he’d been introduced to the young princess as a trustworthy playmate. She may or may not have been one of the first beautiful people he’d stared at in hopes of finding his soulmate. He smiled a bit at the memory. A panicked princess and his unexpected speed had landed his nose soundly against her elbow. The blood had never come out of his special blanket, but the memory was a fond one. He would’ve loved to live the rest of his life together with her. They hadn’t spent time together recently, but he could only imagine she was spending all of her free time with her newfound love. 

All mentions of her soulmate had been shy but full of a quiet awe. He knew that this person had all of her respect and affection. She’d mentioned countless accolades and after one especially drunken and loose lipped night he’d had to listen to her babble on about how his arms were so nice. Before he’d tried to get a name out of her, she’d fallen asleep. He pursed his lips at the memory. She wouldn’t tell him who it was but he wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t know what kind of person they were.

Better than himself he supposed. Without warning or preamble, his hands quickly came up to smack each cheek. No more self pity! His nose scrunched up as he resolutely shunted those thoughts away when a meek voice cut through his mental admonishment.

“Excuse me?” The boy who’d called for his attention was slight and somewhat mousy looking. Lance found his icy white gaze and held it, curious. “You’re Lance right?”

“That’s my name!” Lance winked, bravado returning as he sized up the smaller boy. “You’ve heard about me, I take it?” The boy blushed prettily and opened his mouth to speak. “My name’s Jo-”

“Class is starting, cadets! Unless you’d like to just meander through the halls like a bunch of lemmings, get into this room, stat!” The rough voice of their instructor rang through their ears and set their nerves alight. Lance turned, disbelief arresting him as he took in the face of one of the best pilots of their generation. 

“You’re Granton. Angel Deliverance Granton.”

“And you’re late, cadet. Get inside.”

Both of them quickly straightened up and hustled into the room, respectfully saluting their instructor pilot on the way in. 

The door was small and Lance had to shift awkwardly around the white eyed boy as they’d both tried to enter at the same time. The boy’s blush deepened when Lance pressed a warm hand against his back to guide him slightly out of his way. Quickly blending into the crowd of cadets mingling quietly in the middle of the room, Lance noticed that the white eyed boy had followed him. As smooth as Lance boasted he was, he knew that the digs his friends made about his love life were more accurate than not. The way the cadet trailed behind him and the same prickling feeling he’d felt earlier fixed back onto his neck was unfamiliar. 

“What’s up, dude? I mean, no offense or anything but we just got in trouble and I don’t want to get on the Granton’s bad side if I can help it. I wanna get out of here ASAP and I’m not sure he’ll be too happy that we’re standing together after getting caught lingering in the hall.” Lance snapped, his voice huffy. The boy bit his lip and looked away from him. Fuck, man. He shouldn’t just be mean to the kid like that. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just nervous about being new in the class. Gotta keep up and all that.” Lance tried to ease the tension, paying close attention to the boy’s reaction. “I don’t want to the professor to hate me before I’ve even shown them what I’ve got.” Clear irises settled haltingly on his blue ones. 

“Don’t apologise,” he muttered in response , swallowing his voice as his eyes darted around the room. When they returned to meet his gaze, Lance faintly noted that the professor began taking attendance. 

“I shouldn’t have snapped at you though. It’s not your fault I was just standing out there like a “lemming,”” Lance grinned. Lip once again caught between his teeth, Lance’s conversation partner shot him a shy smile. 

“Joshua Maddock!” A brief moment passed when the flighty boy turned toward their instructor. 

“Present!” 

“Lance McClain!” 

“Present.”

Nerves of any immediate and harrowing embarrassment washed out of Lance when Granton unceremoniously continued down the list. Letting out a relieved breath, Lance quickly covered it with a chuckle.

“So your name’s Joshua?” Lance asked. His hands found his hips and he gave the boy a once over.

“Yeah.” Came the rushed and flustered reply. Lance’s smile widened a little wickedly. People usually didn’t pay attention to him as much as Joshua did. He loved it. 

“You’re pretty cute. I wouldn’t mind getting caught with you in the hallway again if you know what I mean.” Joshua blushed from the roots of his hair all the way down to the uniform collar fastened securely around his neck exactly to protocol. “Why’d you decide to talk to me anyway? Hoping to play the cool senior with the new kid? I understand.” Lance smirked. Joshua’s ears were bordering on a near violent red when he finally spoke again.

“I’m the one who got you demoted!”

“What?”

“McClain! If you’re done flirting back there, I’d like you to come up front.” Granton’s voice brooked no argument and Lance shot Joshua one last confused and ruffled look before making his way to where Granton stood. “Since you’re...new...to this class. We’ve got to see what your skill level is. Can’t have you crashing any cargo. This stuff’s important and you’ve got to navigate through all sorts of weather and combat. When a deployment team needs supplies, you get them there. Now get in this thing and show me what you can do.” The gruff professor laid a hard smack against the simulator Lance had just registered was in the room. One glance told him it was tired, overused, and had probably earned the nickname Old Faithful. 

“With all due respect, I was fighter class,” Lance said in disbelief. He looked incredulously at the contraption in front of him. “I can’t run a sim in that old thing.”

“Well then, fighter class. Looks like you’re not going to be flying at all. Pack your bags and find your way out.” 

“Wait!” His voice cracked with the force he threw behind it, causing Lance to wince in embarrassment. “I’ll fly it!”

“You better. Now get in the sim, cadet.” Grateful for his long legs, he almost flung himself into the sim. “Maddock, navigator. Morrison, engineer. Come join your new flight crew pilot.” 

Joshua glanced over at Pan Morrison, a very intelligent but markedly lazy engineer. They looked back at him unerringly before they both made their way over to the simulator. An email had popped into their inboxes last night. Their pilot Lisa Amir had been upped to fighter class. After sending her a couple of congratulatory texts and receiving a few nervous but excited messages in return, the pair had discussed Lance McClain.

“He’s hot and he’s a good pilot, but he’s a little too high strung for my taste,” had been Pan’s oh so helpful input.

“He’s a great pilot! I’ve seen his scores but I do agree that he’s a bit...over the top.”

“He’s still hot though.” They’d said. Joshua could practically see the knowing look Pan was undoubtedly wearing.

“I hadn’t noticed.” 

And whether or not Joshua had noticed how good looking Lance McClain remained irrelevant now as they both clambered into the aged but familiar machine. They quickly found their seats and buckled in, ignoring the way their pilot seemed to be appalled by the state of their control board.

“Dude, this is super old.” Was the eloquent criticism Lance sputtered out. “Like, is this safe?”

“We’re not actually flying,” Pan muttered. Joshua snorted but cleared his throat before addressing his new teammate.

“It’s an older model, but everything is basically the same.”

“Cadets! Your mission is to get these supplies to an encampment in the mountains. Weather is about as clear as the bottom of a swamp and quickly making a turn for worse. Get ready for launch.” Granton’s voice disappeared with a deafening crackle.

“We don’t usually get high difficulty sims like this unless we’ve been flying together for a while…” Joshua whispered, his worried tone tugging at his crew mates.

“It’ll be fine! Let’s get this rolling.” Lance kept his voice measured and nonchalant. Pan leaned back in their chair as Lance began to start up the controls. “Board is up.”

“Comms are up.” Joshua muttered. He sat, his faked calm expression creating a sharp contrast against his nervous, hunched shoulders. 

“Systems check initiated. Green across the board, and ready for action.” Pan noted with a smirk before their brows drew together, face hardening as they listened for the telltale hum of a healthy engine and smooth launch. Satisfied, they made eye contact with Joshua before the pair turned to look at their pilot who shot them a wink and finger gun apiece. 

“Easy peasy! No problem for me, they don’t call me the tailor for nothing.” Lance’s eager grin dragged a genuine if small smile out of Joshua--whose anxiety about their first flight as a new crew under the scrutiny of their instructor. And Granton was no joke. 

Granton had been a fighter pilot before becoming a cargo flier. Since the change, they’d been through innumerable battle zones navigating fighter class airspace in a less than ideal transport planes. Managing to outmaneuver any fire (friendly or otherwise) that had marked up the unlucky pilots caught in the same array of dogfights. Plenty of people had kicked up a fuss when the offer to re-enter fighter rotations had been shot down. Granton held firm that they didn’t like the idea of being the reason another pilot didn’t make it home. They’d resolutely stuck with their position--citing that although there seemed to be a bias toward combat classes, there were different kinds of strength. 

Different kinds of strengths. Lance chuckled at the memory of the childhood lesson supposed to have been given by the stories of Granton--whose supply runs became known as Angel Deliverance. “Everyone is strong in their own way,” his hardworking mother had reminded him at the end of every struggle he faced. “Never underestimate anyone. You may be a better fighter, but they might have a heart that triumphs your own.” Laughing the nostalgia away, Lance seized the controls and looked down the snowy slightly off colour runway in front of him.

“Let’s go!” He whooped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be getting more content soon! I was struggling with direction, but after a quick reread, it doesn't seem as hopeless as I thought! Hopefully the wait won't be quite as long ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it thus far!


End file.
